Despite terror strikes, Pak nukes safe: US

October 22, 2009 02:24 IST

The recent terrorist attacks in Pakistan including its army headquarters does not pose a threat to the country's nuclear arsenal, even though the United States remains watchful about it, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday.

"We don't think that those attacks pose a threat to the nuclear command and control or access," Clinton replied at the US Institute of Peace on a question about threat to Pakistan's nuclear arsenal in view of the recent attacks on the its army headquarters in Rawalpindi.

"But we have certainly made our views known and asked a lot of questions and are supporting the Pakistani government in their courageous efforts against these extremists," Clinton said.

Noting that the Obama administration is concerned about the safety of Pakistan's nuclear weapons and nuclear proliferation through the A Q Khan network, Clinton said these are part of every engagement that the US has with Pakistan.

"We have been reassured about the security of the nuclear-weapons stockpiles and facilities," she said. "But it is obviously a matter that we are watching very closely for reasons ...first, the continuing threat of proliferation... of course, the militant attack that we saw last week and the continuing organised attacks on government targets, including the military itself and the intelligence services, by Taliban, Al Qaeda and related extremists," Clinton said.